Last summer I watched a movie, earthlings.com, that did a number on industries that exploit animals for profits: food, leather, fur. Even rodeos.

It bummed me out. The film turned my vegetarian wife (she’s been that way since 9th grade) into a vegan. I didn’t exactly follow-suit – it would take more than a movie to turn me away from seafood, and I had already become awfully fussy about, and sparing with, my meat consumption – but I did eliminate dairy from my diet for a few weeks. I assumed I’d miss the stuff.

But I didn’t.

The experiment introduced me to miserable dairy alternatives, like fake cheeses (I have tried several; all were abominations) and coffee creamers, in soy and almond, neither of which even approximated the joys of creamed coffee.

But six months of trial-and-error with dairy alternatives has unveiled some winners.

For one, I discovered So Delicious Original Coconut Milk Creamer. You can find it in the refrigerated sections of stores like Whole Foods and Sprouts, as well as in at least some King Soopers and Safeway stores. Where almond milk always seemed thin and somehow also managed to make coffee taste even more bitter, and soy milk made coffee taste foul, the coconut creamer improved the flavor, lending it a whisper of the tropical. And it captured the luxurious mouth-feel of cream.

Since we discovered it six months ago, it has become clear we aren’t alone in our adoration. The stuff sells out fast. When we encounter it, whether we need creamer or not, we buy a little carton.

I also discovered avocado this year. I always liked the fruit, but for specific things: guacamole, in salads, with sushi. But then I began spreading avocado on toast in the morning, instead of butter. I started putting avocado in smoothies, giving them the satiny texture that dairy fat imparts to drinks. More and more, I find avocado not only replaces butter, but turns old recipes into things brand new.

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Avocado toast? Yes indeedy.

More than half a year after leaving dairy, I sometimes return. I’m not shunning an excellent chocolate chip cookie because it contains butter, for example. But my consumption of the stuff has dropped dramatically, and I think the little discoveries of dairy alternatives have made it easier.